Discount pub chain JD Wetherspoon has issued a statement after a Twitter account announced that staff would be not be wearing poppies ‘due to expanding multiculturalism’.

The parody account Wetherspoon_UK tweeted: “Due to the ever expanding multiculturalism of our clientele and employees this year our staff will not be wearing the poppy while working.”

But the real J D Wetherspoon account has now announced that the tweets from the parody account are not true.

The pub chain’s statement said: “Yet again, the spoof Wetherspoon Twitter account @Wetherspoon_UK has crossed the line with its distasteful and insensitive tweet about the wearing of poppies.

“J D Wetherspoon is in no way connected with this Twitter account and neither shares nor condones its posts.

“In our opinion, although the unofficial spoof account is stated to be a parody account, tweets like this are simply not funny. #Digitaltrolls” Staff and customers will be able to wear poppies freely in all Wetherspoon pubs.

After the incident went viral, the parody account posted a mocking video showing all the notifications the tweets have resulted in.